Device for propelling boats.



C. A. TRACY.

DEVICE FOR PROPELLING BOATS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 11, 1914.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS coy, FHOTO-LIII-HL, WASHINGTON, D. r:

CHARLES A. TRACY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR PBOPELLING BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914.

Application filed May 11, 1914. Serial No. 837,624.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. TRACY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook,and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Devices for Propelling Boats, of which the following is declared tobe a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to propelling mechanism for boats,-and has forits main object to provide simple, eflicient and substantial boatpropelling mechanism capable of being power driven, or manually operatedat will.

Life boats or life saving boats, propelled by oars, are difficult tohandle in a rough sea and particularly by those unskilled in the work,and with motor driven boats the motor frequently becomes ineffective andhe boat becomes stalled.

One purpose of this invention is to provide one or more sets of handoperated levers, together with gearing for driving the propeller shaft,and if desired, so arranged that a motor may be coupled to said shaftfor driving it, but which may be uncoupled when the shaft is rotated bythe hand levers.

To such end this invention consists in the several novel features ofconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully setforth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a central, longitudinal sectionthrough a boat, showing the preferred embodiment of the inventionapplied thereto; Fig. 2 is a detail cross-section taken on line of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts seen in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4; is a detailcrosssection taken on line H of Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawing, the reference numeral 10, designates a boatof ordinary construction, which may be provided with a motor 11, apropeller shaft 12, connected therewith, and journaled in suitablebearings, and a propeller 13, on the rear end of said shaft, inaccordance with any of the well known types of motor driven boats.Conveniently a clutch 14:, is interposed in the propeller shaft 12,whereby it may be disconnected from the motor, so as to be capable ofrotating independently thereof. On said shaft are placed beveledpinions, one of which is seen at 15, which may be fixedly secured to theshaft where the motor 1s dispensed with, but which is provided with aclutch 16, for clutching it to, or unopposite face, thus forming to allintents and purposes, a double pinion. Meshing with both members of thedouble pinion are beveled gear wheels 17, 18, fast upon drive shafts 19,which extend upward in oblique directions to the upper side edges of theboat, where they are provided with operating levers 20, and pawl andratchet mechanisms 21, 22, for effecting their rotation. Bearingbrackets 23, secured to the frame or body of the boat, form thesupportsfor the oblique shafts 19, and may have any well known form of ballbearings for the shafts. A thrust bearing 24, is provided between eachoblique shaft and adjacent bearing 23 for taking up the end thrustthereof.

Secured at the upper end of each oblique shaft 19, is the ratchet wheel22, and thereabove is a collar 25, forming part of the operating leverand rotatively mounted on the shaft. Each collar supports a pawl 21,which engages the teeth of the associated ratchet wheel, andconveniently may be kept in engagement by a spring 26, secured to thecollar and pressing against the pawl, in the direction of the ratchetwheel.

The handle portions 20 of levers 20, are secured to the collars 25, andif desired may have vertical play so as to make it more convenient forthe user to handle them. For this reason I have shown the ends (whichare attached to the collars) as provided with forked portions 27,straddling the collars and fastened thereto by bolts or pins 28.

In operation, the clutch 16, may be shifted to disconnect the propellershaft from the double pinion, and the clutch 14:, shifted to couple thepropeller shaft with the motor, and the propeller may then be driven bythe motor. If, however, it becomes necessary or expedient to drive theshaft by manual power, the clutch 14: is shifted to uncouple thepropeller shaft from the motor, and the clutch 16, shifted to couple thedouble pinion to the propeller shaft. The user then takes hold of thelevers, and swings them back and forth, simulating the act of rowing.During movement of the levers in the direction of the arrows thereon inFig. 3,

the pawls 21 actively engage the teeth of the ratchet wheels 22, andturn them, and therewith turn the oblique drive shafts, beveled gears,the double beveled pinion and the propeller shaft. During the reversemovement of the levers the pawls are moved back to take another hold onthe ratchet wheels. In this manner the boat may be propelled, in aheavy, as well as on a calm sea, by unskilled persons, and because ofthe absence of protruding oars there is less danger of being swampedwhen leaving or approaching a ship or pier.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A boat having a centrally located propeller shaft and propellerthereon, two oblique drive shafts geared to said propeller shaft, andextending upward to points near the upper side edge of the boat,manually operated levers rotatively mounted on said oblique shafts, andpawl and ratchet mechanism connecting said oblique shafts with theoperating levers.

2. A boat having a propeller shaft and propeller thereon, a doublepinion on said propeller shaft, two shafts extending from said propellershaft to the upper side edge of the boat, beveled pinions, one fast oneach oblique shaft and meshing with a member of the double pinion, tworatchet wheels, one fast on the upper end of each oblique shaft,operating levers, one ,rotatively mounted on each oblique shaft, andpawls carried by said levers and engaging said ratchet wheels.

3. A boat having a propeller shaft and propeller thereon, two driveshafts extending therefrom to-points near the upper side edges of theboat, gearing between said propeller shaft and the drive shafts, ratchetwheels, one carried by each drive shaft, operating levers, one for eachdrive shaft, rotatively mounted thereon, and free to swing up and down,and pawls, one for each lever, engaging the ratchet wheel associatedtherewith.

f. A boat having a propeller shaft and a propeller thereon, a doublebeveled pinion on said propeller shaft, two beveled gear wheels meshingwith said double pinion, two obliquely extending drive shafts, onesecured to each beveled gear wheel, two ratchet wheels, one fast on eachdrive shaft, two operating levers, one rotatively mounted on each driveshaft, and capable of swinging up and down, and pawls, one for eachlever and engaging the associated ratchet Wheel. In a device forpropelling boats, a motor driven propeller shaft, arranged to beuncoupled from the motor, a beveled pinion arranged to be coupled to anduncoupled from said shaft, a beveled gear wheel in mesh with saidbeveled pinion, a drive shaft secured to said beveled gear wheel, aratchet wheel secured to said drive shaft, a collar rotatively mountedon said drive shaft, a pawl carried by said collar and engaging saidratchet wheel, and a handle having a fork pivotally secured to saidcollar and arranged to swing upon said pivot through a vertical plane.

CHARLES A. TRACY. /Vitnesses CHARLES 0. SHERVEY, Rosn HUNTLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 3.

